What makes me laugh is that all this time Russia lost on negotiations, threats and petty bickering about AMD, made simply an exchange from fiction AMD systems not even developed yet to fully working SM-3 system that is cheaper, more effective, and with better abilities to track and destroy short and medium balisitic range missles (Iskander for that matter too). Of course Russia will hit a tantrum, but hosting those elements is a independent decision of each country - the same as Iskanders in Transnistria (non-recognized), a thing that for Russia is understandable only from one point of view (eg. we can - they can`t). I seems to me that Moldova will part away from the dying russian sphere of influence over this issue - Russia must carefully choose if it wants to sponsor Moldova or Transnistria.

We all enjoyed an extended period of prosperity and peace during the cold war era. Will it take another COLD WAR to get the mess politicians have created, post cold war era, straightened out? Apparently there is little agreement on much of anything over the last year, just a lot of word noise. Good STATESMEN are in short supply all around the world. Reading a teleprompters like a robot with no real human touch he is more interested in fund raising and playing politics than serving the people. Obviously, we expect too much from our ACTORS {politicians/office holders}. Their chief interest is in self, not service. We are all still waiting for the world to change. We keep electing clowns, jokers and VOODOO politicians, so we reap what we sow. Meanwhile, our world continues to slide down the toilet.

Its always funny to see the Polish analysis, because it is always so outdated, they seem to have a continual habit of being in antiphase to real world developments. They are the Plotting Poles, but their plotting is always completely out of tune with world events. Today, the world is about economics, it is about economic communities, gone are the days when populations can be pursuaded to sit behind military baracades. When large nations can be forced by miltary power into submission. The militaries are just necessary and sufficient to maintain a countries independence. Yes there are still countries out of step with this, but in the end they will correct, due to economic reality, as there is no possible end game to win the board. That is the reality, because there is a new clear message, that prevents it. The technology today, just adds a target, no needed thoughts of extra divisions ..... There is more than enough already to go around, sometimes it's even useful to have a placeholder for it. Now with economics being the sole driver, because people want money in their pockets, want a better way of life, so communities are formed that give the best realsation to this desire. So the new spheres are around cash generators,enablers or providers, be they Germany in the EU, US in terms of Central europe..., Russia in terms of Old Europe, CIS and now Ukraine... This is normal and actually a good thing, because at the end of the day, prosperity, especially today, is what people want. So the old military analysis is outdated, it is now an economic aanalysis with balanced military that takes precident. Countries now have to be able to afford their sphere of influence, because holding ground military in a profitable manner, given todays single man military capability is impossible. It is just money down the drain. Now look at the facts, Russia's economic sphere is actually expanding and expanding into old Europe and Old Europes into Russia, it is recipricosity.

@Cash It seems to me that when something goes wrong You try to change Your point of view. Previously You blubbered all the time about spheres of military influence, power projections, military overpresence and so on... now when Russia got fooled by US over the AMD issue You change agenda that the economy is most important. Well You just shoot Yourself into foot because in terms of economy Russia is a dwarf compared both to EU or US. Russia produces spacecraft, Poland produces potatoes and has higher living standard than Russia - this marks the ultimate failure of russian economy. How many times russian economy is bigger than polish? Three or four times? Regarding the resource, technological, population base this result is just laughable. How big is current russian GDP growth? -8%? In twenty years India and China will jump Russia over in every possible economic stat.